Visual music color control system

ABSTRACT

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to presenting, and configuring, digital objects on a display device for application with a visual music presentation. An interactive screen can be presented on a touchscreen of a display device, wherein a visual musician can interact with one or more components and/or features comprising the screen to control presentation of the digital objects. A portion of the screen can be configured to initially present a continuous hue spectrum, which can subsequently be replaced with a discrete hue spectrum. Further, a spectrum comprising naturally visible hues can be modified such that a plurality of hues in the spectrum are positioned equally across the spectrum, and further, brightness of respective hues can be modified to enable presentment of a visually appealing visual music presentation.

BACKGROUND

Two of the human senses that lend themselves to interesting and creativeinteraction are sight and sound. The sense of hearing has entertainedfor millennia in the forms of sounds that occur in a defined sequence(e.g., music). More recently, techniques involved with the presentmentand enjoyment of audible information (e.g., in the form of a song) arebeing utilized in the field of visual music (aka color music), wherein,musical structure(s) can be applied to visual imagery and visual forms.

Representing a color spectrum with a computer-based representation canbe problematic from a visual perspective, particularly in real-timeapplications, such as playing visual music (e.g., while improvising).Issues relating to such depiction include a natural hue spectrum (e.g.,the visible spectrum in its natural form) provides an inordinate amountof space to particular colors relative to others, e.g., the green andblue portions of the visible spectrum comprise respectively largerportions of the natural hue spectrum relative to yellow, orange, andpurple portions. Also, a perceived brightness of colors in the spectrumcan vary across it, e.g., the brightness of one hue perceptuallyoverwhelms that of others. Further, while playing visual music, it isdesirable to be able to simultaneously change respective colors of alarge number of related objects being presented (e.g., on a display)while maintaining a particular mood.

SUMMARY

The following is a brief summary of subject matter that is described ingreater detail herein. This summary is not intended to be limiting as tothe scope of the claims.

Described herein are various technologies related to presentation of oneor more digital objects on a display device for a visual musicperformance. In an embodiment, the display device can include aninteractive screen (e.g., a touchscreen) to enable presentation andcontrol of the objects.

In a further embodiment, a portion of the screen (a hue spectrum region)can be configured to initially present a first spectrum, e.g., acontinuous hue spectrum, which can be subsequently replaced by a secondspectrum, e.g., a discrete hue spectrum.

In another embodiment, a natural hue spectrum comprising a naturalarrangement of hues can be modified such that a plurality of base huesin the spectrum are positioned as desired, e.g., equally, across thespectrum. When a natural hue spectrum is utilized in visual music, andnotes are mapped to hues in the natural spectrum, owing to certaincolors being more predominant in the spectrum, more than one note may beassigned to a certain hue (e.g., the predominant greens) while othercolors may not be assigned to a note at all (e.g., yellow). Thus, one ormore functions can be applied to the natural hue spectrum to enablemodification of the spectrum such that the base hues that are found on acolor wheel are respectively associated with a particular note, whereineach note can occur at a predefined location across the spectrum (e.g.,as a piano key arrangement). Accordingly, per the various embodimentspresented herein, during presentation of the visual music, objectshaving a wide range of hues are presented and thus render the music morevisually appealing than an approach based upon the natural hue spectrum.The modified spectrum enables colors to be presented that are closer tothe empirical experience of the segments as represented in color theoryand color naming.

In another embodiment, a continuous hue spectrum can be sectioned into aplurality of segments, with a particular hue being assigned to eachrespective segment, to form a discrete hue spectrum. Further, a verticalhue spectrum can be formed comprising segments that have a narrow bandof hues (e.g., based upon pixel density of the display device) such thata color of an object can be altered between the close range of hues.

In another embodiment, one or more functions can be utilized to controlrelative brightness between colors so that an overall palette of hues isperceived to be balanced compared with a palette derived from a naturalspectrum. For example, the brightness of colors in the green and purplecolor spaces can be reduced to prevent them from perceptually dominatingother colors, such as orange, red, blue and yellow hues.

In a further embodiment, chords can be displayed to enable respectivecolors of a plurality of objects to be controlled simultaneously. Afirst object can be assigned to a first note in the chord, a secondobject can be assigned to a second note in the chord, etc. As a chord ismodified, or replaced, the color(s) of respective objects assigned to aparticular note will change in accordance with the chord modificationand/or selection.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system for controlling presentation ofone or more digital objects on a device.

FIG. 2 presents an exemplary controller component and various componentsincluded therein.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of hue spectrums that can be utilized inaccord with one or more embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 4A illustrates how a natural hue spectrum can be adjusted to form amodified spectrum.

FIG. 4B illustrates brightness adjustment of respective segments of amodified spectrum.

FIG. 5A presents an example screen facilitating interaction and controlof digital objects.

FIG. 5B presents an example screen with a continuous spectrum displayed.

FIG. 6 presents a plurality of chords to simultaneously configurecoloration of a plurality of digital objects.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology formodifying a hue spectrum.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating formation of a discrete huespectrum from a continuous hue spectrum.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating alternation of spectrums presentedon a display.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various technologies are presented herein pertaining to configuringand/or controlling presentation of objects (e.g., digital objects,visual objects) for visual music, wherein like reference numerals areused to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description,for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It maybe evident, however, that such aspect(s) may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devicesare shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one ormore aspects.

Further, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather thanan exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear fromthe context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any ofthe natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs A orB” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; Xemploys B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and“an” as used in this application and the appended claims shouldgenerally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwiseor clear from the context to be directed to a singular form.Additionally, as used herein, the term “exemplary” is intended to meanserving as an illustration or example of something, and is not intendedto indicate a preference.

As used herein, the terms “component”, “device”, and “system” areintended to encompass computer-readable data storage that is configuredwith computer-executable instructions that cause certain functionalityto be performed when executed by a processor. The computer-executableinstructions may include a routine, a function, or the like. It is alsoto be understood that a component or system may be localized on a singledevice or distributed across several devices. The terms “component”,“device”, and “system” are also intended to encompass hardwareconfigured to cause certain functionality to be performed, where suchhardware can include, but is not limited to including FPGAs,Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Application-specificStandard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), ComplexProgrammable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.

A plurality of embodiments are presented herein relating to presentationof at least one object during presentation of visual music. A naturalhue spectrum (e.g., a naturally occurring hue spectrum as seen by theunaided eye) can be modified to form a continuous hue spectrum having atransition of hues that is closer to the empirical experience of colorrepresentation in color naming and color theory. A naturally occurringhue spectrum may be visually unappealing when divided into equalsegments, wherein each segment is assigned to a respective note in aseries of notes as presented in visual music, e.g., the notes arepresented visually in the form of color. As further described, when thenatural hue spectrum is broken up into a plurality of notes, more thanone note may comprise quite similar colors. Further, for colorselection/interaction, a continuous hue spectrum can be replaced with adiscrete hue spectrum. The term “unaided eye” relates to how an eye(e.g., a human eye) can perceive colors without utilizing colorcorrection, e.g., infrared glasses, etc. An unaided eye is an eye thatis seeing without the use of lenses, filters, etc., and if lenses areworn, the lenses are worn to correct conditions such as myopia,hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, etc.

Herein the terms “hue” and “color” are used interchangeably and relateto the property of a color, and per colorimetry, e.g., in accordancewith CIECAM2, a color appearance model published in 2002 by theInternational Commission on Illumination (CIE). Other propertiesrelating to color which can be controlled (adjusted) in accordance withone or more embodiments herein include, chroma, saturation, lightness,and brightness.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 that can be utilized togenerate one or more spectrums from the natural hue spectrum, andfurther, present the one or more spectrums to enable control of how oneor more objects are presented, e.g., in a visual music presentation. Asfurther described, the various spectrums can be of a continuous format(e.g., a transition of hues wherein each adjacent hue has a minimalwavelength shift to the wavelength of a neighboring hue), or comprisesegments of discrete color (e.g., each segment is filled with a singlehue).

System 100 comprises a computing system 101 which can be configured tocontrol generation of the one or more spectrums and further, controlpresentation of one or more objects on a display based at least in partupon the one or more spectrums. The computing system 101 comprises aprocessor 102 and memory 103, wherein the memory 103 comprises data thatis accessible to the processor 102 and instructions that can be executedby the processor 102. With more particularity, the memory 103 comprisesa controller component 110 that is configured to perform one or morefunctions on a received color spectrum, and further, control how one ormore objects are presented on a display device 120.

As further described herein, the controller component 110 can beutilized to modify a natural hue spectrum to generate a modifiedspectrum. The modified hue can be utilized in conjunction with aplurality of notes which form a musical scale (e.g., a tune) to enable avisual presentation of at least one object, wherein a respective hue ofthe at least one object can be changed in accordance with a noteselected from the sequence of notes in the musical scale. Further, thecontroller component 110 can be configured to segment the modifiedspectrum (e.g., in continuous form) to generate a spectrum comprising aplurality of discrete regions of color to further enable presentment ofa particular hue for a given object. Based upon interaction with asystem, presentation of the one or more spectrums (e.g., continuousspectrum→discrete spectrum→continuous spectrum . . . etc.) areinterchangeable to enable control of the objects.

A display device 120 is further included in the system 100, wherein thedisplay device 120 is configured to present one or more objects 121thereupon, as further described herein. Moreover, the system 100 canoptionally include a presentation component 125. Data communicationbetween the display device 120 and the controller component 110 can beutilized, in an embodiment, to control presentation of objects on thepresentation component 125, wherein the objects presented on thepresentation component 125 can correlate to the one or more objects 121presented on the display device 120 (e.g., a digital display comprisinga plurality of pixels). For example, in an embodiment, the displaydevice 120 can be a handheld device which is being played by a visualmusician on a stage, and the presentation component 125 is a largedisplay (e.g., a digital projector) at the back of the stage which canbe seen by an audience. Hence, as the visual musician changespresentment of the one or more objects 121 (e.g., number of objects,object color, object location, etc.) on the display device 120, one ormore corresponding objects 126 presented on the presentation component125 are changed in a corresponding manner.

In a further embodiment, as further described herein, the display device120 can also be configured to present a plurality of screens (e.g.,interfaces, displays, etc.) that can be utilized to select, generate,configure, etc., the object(s) 121 presented on the display device 120,and accordingly, the one or more objects 126 presented on thepresentation component 125. Such objects 121 can include a twodimensional shape(s), a three dimensional shape(s), a line(s), abackground, a foreground, a middleground, a layer, etc., wherein aplurality of object properties 129 can be controlled and/or manipulated,where such properties 129 include a hue(s), a brightness, a contrast(s),size, position, duration of presence, etc. The properties 129 can bestored at, and retrieved from, a storage device 136, wherein the storagedevice 136 can be accessed by any of the computing system 101, processor102, display device 120, presentation component 125, touch sensitiveinterface 130, the controller component 110 (and components locatedtherein), etc.

An example object configuration screen 122 is illustrated in FIG. 1, andcomprises of an object presentation region 123 which can be configuredto present the one or more objects 121 enabling a user to see how theone or more objects 121 will be presented on the presentation component125. As mentioned, a plurality of hue spectrums (e.g., continuous huespectrum, discrete hue spectrum, etc.) can be utilized to configurecoloration of the one or more objects 121, wherein the objectconfiguration screen 122 can include a hue spectrum region 124 which canbe configured to present the plurality of hue spectrums. Operation ofthe hue spectrum region 124 can be configured such that a first huespectrum can be initially presented in the hue spectrum region 124, andsubsequently replaced by a second hue spectrum, thereby enabling colorconfiguration of the one or more objects 126 in a plurality ofinteractive executions, as further described herein. Also, as furtherdescribed, the object configuration screen 122 can further include otherregions, buttons, selectors, etc., to enable interaction with, andconfiguration of, the one or more objects 121 presented on the objectconfiguration screen 122.

It is to be appreciated that while the selection between a continuoushue spectrum and a discrete hue spectrum is presented herein with regardto display of one or more objects in a visual music presentation, thevarious embodiments can also be applied to other applications requiringpresentation of a continuous hue spectrum and/or a discrete huespectrum. For example, software for generation and/or editing ofcomputer graphics (e.g., digital objects) can utilize a color selectionfeature to present a plurality of colors on a screen for selection by auser, e.g., to apply to an object, text, etc. Such color selectionfeatures (panels, screens) include a color wheel, a plurality ofswatches having different hues, a ribbon of colors transitioning from afirst hue to a second hue (with a plurality of hues therebetween), etc.,from which a user can select a desired color. The color selector(s) istypically displayed on a computer screen (e.g., in a graphical userinterface, GUI) in response to selection from any of a drop-down menu(drop-down list, drop menu), a list box, a button, a radio button, acycle button, a spinner, a menu, an icon, a tree view, a link, ascrollbar, a text box, a combo box, a balloon help, a dialog box, acheck box, a widget, or other graphical control element, wherein thecolor selector(s) can be included in such GUI components as a panel, awindow, a tab, a palette, etc. Such color selector(s) can also beutilized for selection of font color in any computer application thatincludes presentation of text, numbers, symbols, etc., e.g., a wordprocessor, a spreadsheet, etc. Typically, a color selector(s) ispresented in a fixed manner, whereby, for example, a user selects afirst tabbed panel having a color ribbon thereon to enable selection ofa custom color, and selects a second tabbed panel having a plurality ofswatches thereon to select a standard, predefined color. The variousembodiments presented herein can be utilized with such computerapplications, wherein a continuous spectrum can be replaced with adiscrete spectrum, and vice versa, at the hue spectrum region 124.

In an embodiment, the display device 120 can be a touch sensitivedisplay, wherein position and/or motion of a pointer 135 (e.g., afinger, stylus, etc.) on or proximate to an outer surface (e.g., ascreen) of the display device 120 can be detected and utilized tocontrol presentation of the one or more objects 121 (and properties 129)presented on the display device 120 (e.g., as presented at one or moreregions of the object configuration screen 122). A touch sensitiveinterface 130 is also included in system 100, and is configured todetect and/or capture position and/or motion of the pointer 135 relativeto the surface of the display device 120, and the object configurationscreen 122 presented thereon. The position and/or motion of the pointer135 captured by the touch sensitive interface 130 can be forwarded tothe controller 110, for subsequent determinations and/or selections tobe made based upon the captured position and/or motion data.

It is to be appreciated that while the various embodiments presentedherein are directed towards utilizing a touch sensitive screen to enableinteraction with one or more screens presented herein, interaction canalso be by means of navigating the screens with a computer mouse andselecting required hues, spectrums, etc., by mouse cursor selection, orother suitable selection technique.

It is to be further appreciated that while the display device 120 can behand held device, and suitable computing device can be utilized with thevarious embodiments herein, e.g., a personal computer, a tablet pc, asmart phone, a mobile computing device, etc. Also, the display device120 can be incorporated into a support device, such as a support deviceshaped like a musical instrument, e.g., shaped like a guitar, akeyboard, a violin, etc.

Turning momentarily to FIG. 2, as previously mentioned, the controllercomponent 110 can comprise a plurality of components to enable one ormore of the embodiments presented herein. The controller component 110can include a touch detection component 210 which can operate inconjunction with the touch sensitive interface 130 to detect interactionof the pointer 135 with the display device 120. For example, the touchdetection component 210 can detect positioning of the pointer 135 withrespect to one or more pixels included in the object configurationscreen 122.

The controller component 110 can further include a spectrum generationcomponent 220 which can be configured to generate a hue spectrum (e.g.,a modified hue spectrum, a discrete hue spectrum) from, for example, anatural hue spectrum, as particularly described with reference to FIGS.3 and 4. Alternatively, according to another example, it is contemplatedthat the hue spectrum(s) (e.g., the modified hue spectrum, the discretehue spectrum) can be predefined.

The controller component 110 can further include a spectrum selectioncomponent 230 configured to select a hue spectrum for display (e.g., ondisplay device 120) based, at least in part, upon a determination ofwhether an interaction (e.g., between pointer 135 and display device120) is based upon a desire for a currently displayed hue spectrum(e.g., currently displayed at the hue spectrum region 124) to continueto be displayed to enable further interaction with the hue spectrum, orthe hue spectrum is to be replaced with another hue spectrum (e.g., acurrently displayed discrete hue spectrum is to be replaced with acontinuous hue spectrum) to enable interaction with the newly displayedspectrum.

To enable interaction with one or more features (e.g., color selection,object selection, etc.) presented on the object configuration screen122, one or more pixels included in the screen can be assigned (mappedto) a particular hue. For example, when a first spectrum is beingdisplayed (e.g., a continuous spectrum) a specific pixel in theplurality of pixels of the hue spectrum region 124 can be mapped to aparticular hue corresponding to the hue in the first spectrum, such thatwhen the pixel is selected, the hue assigned to the pixel is applied toan object(s) 121. Hence, when a second hue spectrum (e.g., a discretehue spectrum) is displayed, the plurality of pixels in the hue spectrumregion 124 are remapped to the respective hues in a respective segmentof the second hue spectrum. A spectrum mapping component 240 can beincluded in the controller component to enable mapping of the pluralityof pixels to a particular hue, based in part upon the spectrum beingdisplayed in the hue spectrum region 124.

A color assignment component 250 can be included in the controllercomponent 110 to enable a color(s) to be selected from a hue spectrumand be applied to an object(s) 121. The color assignment component 250can receive information regarding a pixel being selected (e.g., relativeto a hue spectrum being displayed in the hue spectrum region 124),wherein the pixel information can be received from the touch detectioncomponent 210 operating in conjunction with the colors mapped by thespectrum mapping component 240.

The controller component 110 can further include a brightness selectioncomponent 260 which can be utilized to adjust brightness of particularhues in a spectrum relative to others.

Returning to FIG. 1, a plurality of spectrums can be received at thecomputing system 101, and further, can be generated at the computingsystem 101. For example, a natural hue spectrum 140 (e.g., comprisingthe naturally visible spectrum of hues) can be received (e.g., andstored in the storage device 136) at the computing system. Accordingly,to enable presentation of visual music where a viewer is able todetermine a note being played based upon a particular hue assigned to anassociated object 121, the natural hue spectrum 140 can be modified(adjusted) in a plurality of ways to enable visual comprehension of thevisual music. A plurality of functions 170 can be utilized (e.g., by thecontroller component 110, or a component(s) included therein) to modifythe natural hue spectrum 140 to generate a plurality of modifiedspectrums 180A-180 n to be utilized for coloration of the one or moreobjects 121 being rendered on the display device 120, and thepresentation component 125, where n is a positive integer. The modifiedspectrums 180A-180 n can comprise a modified continuous spectrum, adiscrete spectrum, a vertical spectrum, etc. Other functions 175 can beutilized by the controller component 110 (and components includedtherein) to determine interaction with a hue spectrum(s) presented onthe object configuration screen 122.

The one or more functions 170 (e.g., algorithms, components, etc.) canbe a linear function(s), a logarithmic function(s), etc. In anembodiment, a function 170 can be a step-wise linear function(s) to mapa standard representation of the natural hue spectrum 140 into aplurality of segments such that available hues are arranged in a mannerthat is closer to the color representation in color naming and colortheory. In another embodiment, the function(s) 170 (e.g., utilized bythe brightness selection component 260) can also be a linear function toenable an adjustment of the relative brightness of a color representedin a segment such that an overall palette of colors is visuallyperceived as being balanced. For example, the brightness of colors inthe green (G) and purple (P) segments can be reduced to preventperceptual domination of these colors over the orange (O), red (R), blue(B) and yellow (Y) segments.

Turning to FIG. 3, a natural hue spectrum comprising a plurality of hueswith a distribution visible to the unaided eye can be received at thecomputing system 101. The natural hue spectrum 310 (e.g., similar to thespectrum 140) represents such a natural spectrum, wherein the naturalhue spectrum 310 is a continuous spectrum comprising a plurality ofhues. Owing to the limits of reproduction, it is not possible to presentthe natural hue spectrum 310 in color, however, as shown in conjunctionwith spectrum line 320, the natural hue spectrum 310 can be broken downinto a plurality of hues, for example, twelve base hues comprising sixprimary hues red (R), orange (O), yellow (Y) green (G), blue (B), andpurple (P) and intermediate hues red-orange (RO), orange-yellow (OY),yellow-green (YG), green-blue (GB), blue-purple (BP), and purple-red(PR). Depending upon a number of pixels separating each respective huedisplayed on the hue spectrum region 124, a plurality of intermediatehues can be displayed between each neighboring pair of base hues. Thenumber of intermediate hues can be a function of the screen resolutionof the display device 120 (e.g., 264 pixels per inch (ppi), 326 ppi,etc.). For example, if a ½″ display comprising 132 pixels separates afirst hue (e.g., Y) from a second hue (e.g. OY), 132 intermediate huescan occur between the first hue and the second hue. Accordingly, per theforegoing, a transition from a first intermediate hue to a neighboring,second intermediate hue, can be a short wavelength transition.

Six of the base hues in the natural hue spectrum 310 have the followingwavelengths, frequencies, and photon energies, per Table 1:

TABLE 1 Properties of different colors Color Wavelength Frequency Photonenergy Purple (P) 380-450 nm 668-789 THz 2.75-3.26 eV Blue (B) 450-495nm 606-668 THz 2.50-2.75 eV Green (G) 495-570 nm 526-606 THz 2.17-2.50eV Yellow (Y) 570-590 nm 508-526 THz 2.10-2.17 eV Orange (O) 590-620 nm484-508 THz 2.00-2.10 eV Red (R) 620-750 nm 400-484 THz 1.65-2.00 eV

As shown in Table 1, and as indicated by the respective positions ofeach base hues marked by the dotted line, the base hues are not equallyspaced throughout the natural hue spectrum 310. Further, as shown by thespectrum line 320, the green (G) hue portion and the blue (B) hueportion take up greater portions (respectively about ¼ and ⅕) of the huespectrum than other respective hue portions, for example, the green-blue(GB) portion or the yellow (Y) portion are both narrower than the green(G) and blue (B) portions.

Per the segment line 330, a spectrum can be divided up into a pluralityof segments, thereby enabling the naturally occurring, visible spectrum(e.g., natural hue spectrum 310) to convey one or more musical scales invisual music. Segment line 330 comprises twelve equally spaced segments(S₁-S₁₂) (e.g., having width w), wherein the segments can be arranged asa series of notes, e.g., any ofA-A^(♯)(B♭)-B-C-C^(♯)(D♭)-D-D^(♯)(E♭)-E-F-F^(♯)(G♭)-G-G^(♯)(A♭),arranged like keys (e.g., piano keys). However, owing to the non-equalspacing of the twelve base hues in the natural hue spectrum 310, somehues may align with more than one segment or key. For example, the green(G) portion of spectrum line 320 covers segments S₄-S₆ of segment line330, and similarly, the blue (B) portion of spectrum line 320 coverssegments S₈-S₉ of the segment line 330, while the red (R) portion onlycovers S₁₂, and the orange-yellow (OY) portion is partially contained inthe S₂ segment. Further, given the placement of the yellow (Y) portionrelative to the orange-yellow (OY) portion and the yellow-green (YG)portion with respect to the segments S₂ and S₃, the yellow (Y) portionof the spectrum line 320 may not be represented by any segment insegment line 330.

It is to be appreciated that while the segments S₁-S₁₂ are presentedherein as being equally spaced (e.g., with width w), the segments can bearranged in any manner, such as with variable widths, a combination ofvariable widths and common widths, etc.

As shown in FIG. 3, the twelve segments S₁-S₁₂ can also have a musicalnote respectively assigned thereto. It is to be appreciated that whilethe sequence of notes (scale) starts with note A being at segment S₁,the sequence can start at any segment, e.g., note A can be assigned tosegment S₇, wherein the notes would wrap around with note G♯ beinglocated at segment S₆. Alternatively, the notes can be assigned to thesegments S₁-S₁₂ in a non-sequential manner, and further with randomassignment. For example note A can be assigned segment S₃, while noteA^(♯) is assigned to segment S₉, note B is assigned to segment S₁₀, etc.

As mentioned, a function (e.g., function 170) can be applied to thenatural hue spectrum 310 to facilitate adjustment of the respective huepositions (e.g., relative to the segments S₁-S₁₂ of segment line 330)such that a visually appealing array of colors are respectively assignedto each of the segments S₁-S₁₂, and accordingly, each of the notes inthe musical sequence A-G^(♯). Discussion of the respective hues andsegment allocation is limited owing to the images herein being black andwhite in nature. However, as shown, a modified spectrum is a secondspectrum 340, and further, as shown in spectrum line 350 in conjunctionwith segment line 330, each of the hues RO, O, OY, Y, YG, G, GB, B, BP,P, PR, and R have been assigned to each respective segment S₁-S₁₂.Accordingly, each position indicated in the spectrum 340 has a uniquebase hue assigned thereto. Hence, the segments and colors presented inthe second spectrum 340 are S₁-RO, S₂-O, S₃-OY, S₄-Y, S₅-YG, S₆-G,S₇-GB, S₈-B, S₉-BP, S₁₀-P, S₁₁-PR, S₁₂-R. Spectrums 310 and 340 are bothcontinuous spectrums, wherein the respective base hues merge intoneighboring hues as a function of other intermediate hues, e.g., color Yin segment S₄ transitions to color YG in segment S₅ based upon aplurality of intermediate hues.

An example of how the natural hue spectrum 310 can be modified to formthe modified hue spectrum 340 is illustrated in FIG. 4A. As shown by thedotted lines between the natural hue spectrum 310 and the modifiedspectrum 340, portions of the natural hue spectrum 310 are reduced tofit into a respective segment (e.g., the G region of the spectrum 310 isreduced to fit segment S₆), while other portions of the spectrum 310 areenlarged to fit into a respective segment (e.g., the Y region of thespectrum 310 is enlarged to fit into segment S₄). To achieve themodification of the spectrum 310 to form the modified spectrum 340, thecolor space of the spectrum 310 can be represented as a continuous0.00-1.00 variable (e.g., in 0 to 1 space), anchored by red-orange (RO)at one extreme (left hand) and red (R) at the other, per the gradationline 410. The gradation line 410 is broken into twelve segments, whereinthe portion of the spectrum that is assigned to each of the twelvesegments is selected to center on a perceptually identifiable hue. In anembodiment, a function 170 can be utilized by the controller 110 (e.g.,by the spectrum generation component 220) to modify the natural huespectrum 310 to form the modified hue spectrum 340, wherein the function170 can be a stepwise linear function, and the stepwise linear functionis fitted using the twelve pairs of values. Table 2 presents anexemplary set of values, as measured along the gradation line 410,indicating how respective ranges are enlarged or decreased to fit thesegments S₁-S₁₂.

TABLE 2 Portions of a natural hue spectrum fitted to a spectrumBrightness Lower Bound Upper Bound adjustment Segment RO 0.00 0.06 1.0S₁ O 0.06 0.11 1.0 S₂ OY 0.11 0.15 1.0 S₃ Y 0.15 0.18 1.0 S₄ YG 0.180.30 0.9 S₅ G 0.30 0.42 0.8 S₆ GB 0.42 0.60 0.8 S₇ B 0.60 0.71 1.0 S₈ BP0.71 0.78 0.9 S₉ P 0.78 0.83 0.7 S₁₀ PR 0.83 0.90 0.9 S₁₁ R 0.90 1.001.0 S₁₂

Further, graph 420 illustrates a plot 430 of the relationship betweenthe respective hue portions of the natural hue spectrum (e.g., spectrum310) and the respective segment to which the portion of the plot 430 isassigned. As shown in graph 420, respective portions of the 0.00-1.00variable forming the natural hue spectrum are applied to the twelvesegments S₁-S₁₂. A segment comprising a shallow line of plot 430indicates that the portion of the 0.00-1.00 variable has been enlarged(e.g., line portion 440 of segment S₄ for the yellow (Y) hue), while asteep line of plot 430 indicates that the portion of the 0.00-1.00variable has been reduced (e.g., line portion 450 of segment S₇ for thegreen-blue hue (GB) hue).

Modification of the natural hue spectrum 310 to the modified huespectrum 340 can be based upon identifying a wavelength (or frequency)for a first color, assigning that first color to a middle point of afirst segment, and then identifying intermediate hues either side of thefirst color to enable a smooth transition across the first segment to aneighboring segment(s) (e.g., a second segment and a third segmentrespectively located on either side of the first segment), in accordancewith a second color assigned to a midpoint of the neighboring segment.For example, the wavelength for the color blue (B) is assigned to themidpoint of segment S₈ (per spectrum line 350 and segment line 330), andthe wavelength for the blue-purple (BP) hue is assigned to the midpointof segment S₉, wherein the intermediate hues are placed therebetween.

While the spectrums 310 and 340 are continuous spectrums, a discretespectrum can also be formed, as shown in spectrum 360 and spectrum line350 of FIG. 3. For each segment S₁-S₁₂ a single respective hue isutilized, wherein, in an example embodiment, the hues are RO, O, OY, Y,YG, G, GB, B, BP, P, PR, and R. In an embodiment, the discrete huespectrum 360 can be formed by aligning the continuous hue spectrum 340between a first hue and a second hue, such that the continuous huespectrum 340 is aligned horizontally between the first hue and thesecond hue. The continuous hue spectrum 340 can be divided into aplurality of segments (e.g., by the spectrum generation component 220),wherein the division is performed such that the plurality of segmentsare of equal width along the horizontally aligned continuous huespectrum (per segment line 350). A base hue can be identified in eachsegment in the plurality of segments, wherein each segment can beassigned with the base hue identified in each respective segment. Foreach pixel included in each respective segment, the pixel is coloredwith the base hue identified for that segment (e.g., by the spectrummapping component 240). As further described, a single color can beapplied to an object 121 presented on the display device 120 byselecting the desired segment S₁-S₁₂, wherein, application of the colorto the object can be performed by the color assignment component 250.

In another embodiment, the spectrum generation component 220 can beutilized to generate a spectrum comprising a combination of a continuousspectrum (e.g., spectrum 340) and a discrete spectrum (e.g., spectrum360), as shown in spectrum 370, referred to herein as a verticalspectrum. Referring to spectrum 340, the continuous spectrum can befurther divided into the twelve portions, wherein each portion of thespectrum 340 formed from the divisioning operation is applied to arespective segment S₁-S₁₂. In an embodiment, the divisioning operationcomprises aligning the continuous hue spectrum 340 between a first hue(e.g., RO) and a second hue (e.g., R), such that the continuous huespectrum 340 is aligned horizontally between the first hue and thesecond hue. The continuous hue spectrum 340 is subsequently divided intoa plurality of portions, where the division is performed such that theplurality of portions are of equal width (w) along the horizontallyaligned continuous hue spectrum 340. Hence, at divisioning, each portioncomprises a constant hue in the vertical direction (v) but transitionsacross a plurality of hues in the horizontal direction (h).Subsequently, during assignment of each respective portion to a segment,each portion is rotated through 90° such that there is a constant hue inthe horizontal direction (horizontal plane), and hues transitionvertically (vertical plane) across each respective portion, as shown inthe vertical arrows 380 for each segment of vertical spectrum 370. Forexample, the yellow (Y) hue portion is assigned to segment S₄, whereinthe yellow (Y) hue is positioned at a central point, and theintermediate hues tending towards OY are positioned above, and theintermediate hues tending towards YG are positioned below, the centrallyplaced yellow (Y) hue. As further described, when the pointer 135 istraced vertically across a segment in the vertical spectrum 370, thecolor of an associated object 121 displayed on the display device 120transitions through the hues which are navigated by the pointer 135 asit traces across the display device 120.

FIG. 4B further presents graph 460, plot 470 which indicates anadjustment in brightness applied to a specific color to be applied to anobject 121, wherein the brightness adjustment values of plot 470 arebased upon the example values presented in Table 2. An empiricaladjustment can be made to the brightness component of ahue-saturation-brightness (HSB) model so that each of the hues appearswith similar visual impact, e.g., the hues are displayed with a commonbrightness, a common level of brightness, a consistent perceptual level,etc. For the hues presented in Table 2, the average brightness for eachof the twelve steps is shown. The brightness adjustments for thepresented example values are directed towards adjustments made to thegreen color space (e.g., segments S₆ and S₇) and the purple color space(e.g., segments S₉-S₁₁). A function (e.g., function 170) utilized toadjust the brightness can utilize linear interpolation between the valueof one step and the next step to enable continuity along the spectrum.Adjustment of a brightness of a color can be performed by the brightnessselection component 260.

Referring to FIG. 5A, an example screen 500 displayed on the displaydevice 120 (and the presentation component 125) is presented. As shown,a central region 515 can be utilized to present one or more objects(e.g., the one or more object 121). In the example screen 500, fourobjects 520, 525, 530, and 532 are presented. A hue spectrum region 124is located at the top of the screen 500, wherein the hue spectrum region124 can be a portion of the screen 500 assigned for presentment(location) of one or more hue spectrums (e.g., any of the spectrums 140,180A-180 n, 310, 340, 360, and/or 370). Per the example screen capture,a discrete hue spectrum 540 (e.g., spectrum 340, spectrum 360) islocated at the hue spectrum region 124. As previously mentioned, acolor(s) can be applied to each object (e.g., any of objects 520, 525,530, 532) based, at least in part, upon a color selected from a spectrumdisplayed at the hue spectrum region 124.

To generate and/or select an object(s), a plurality of object selectors541-544 are illustrated, wherein a particular selector is associatedwith a particular object, enabling the particular object to be initiallygenerated and subsequently selected. For example, the first object 525is associated with the first object selector 541 and thus, the firstobject 525 is generated and/or selected based upon selection of thefirst object selector 541. In another example, the second object 530 isassociated with the second object selector 542 and thus, the secondobject 530 is generated and/or selected based upon selection of thesecond object selector 542. Hence, to change the color of the secondobject 530, the second object selector 542 is selected (e.g., with thepointer 135) causing the second object 530 to be selected, whereupon acolor can be assigned to the second object 530 based upon a colorselected from a spectrum presented at the hue spectrum region 124.

A chord structure 550 is presented, wherein the colors of the respectiveobjects 520-532 can be defined in accordance with respective colors inthe chord structure 550. Because it may be desirable to play a visualmusic instrument in real time (improvisationally), it is useful for aplayer to be able to change colors of multiple objects simultaneously.The chord structure 550 is based, in part, upon a musical structure ofchords. In an embodiment, when an object is created, the object isassigned a note identity, and based thereon, when the chord structure550 is selected (and other available chord structure variations), theobject assigned to a respective note is configured with the colordefined for the note. For example, the bottom most line is note 1 (witha first object assigned thereto), the line above it is note 2 (with asecond object assigned thereto), the second line from the top is note 3(with a third object assigned thereto), and the top line is note 4 (witha fourth object assigned thereto). Hence, adjusting a hue of one object(e.g., the first object) can cause respective hues of the other objects(e.g., the second object, the third object, the fourth object) to alsobe adjusted to maintain a hue relationship between the plurality ofhues, and thereby maintain the relationship of note identities of therespective objects within the chord structure.

FIG. 5B illustrates an object configuration screen 122 with a continuousspectrum 597 (e.g., spectrum 310, spectrum 340) located at the huespectrum region 124, wherein the continuous spectrum 597 can be utilizedto configure any of the objects 520-532. As previously described, thecontinuous spectrum 580 and the discrete spectrum 540 can be swapped outat the hue spectrum region 124.

Turning to FIG. 6, three chord charts 610, 620, and 630 are illustrated,wherein each chord charts comprises configuration colors for four notescomprising a chord formed from a first note 640 (assigned to a firstobject), a second note 650 (assigned to a second object), a third note660 (assigned to a third object), and a fourth note 670 (assigned to afourth object). Hence, to change coloration of the four objectssimultaneously, a first chord (e.g., chord 610) can be selected andsubsequently, a second chord (e.g., chord 630) can be selected. As shownby the various common and different crosshatching styles, forconfiguration 610, the first note and the third note have the samecolor, and the second note and the fourth note have the same color. Forconfiguration 620, all of the notes have a different coloration. Forconfiguration 630, the second note and the fourth note have the samecolor, while the first note and the third note have differentcolorations. Thus by selecting the first chord 610 and the third chord630, the second and fourth notes (and their related objects) remaindisplaying the same color, while the first and third notes, whilestarting with the same color transition to different colors as the thirdchord is activated. The chromatic relationships (color harmonies)between the colors utilized for the respective notes (and associatedobjects) can be of any configuration, e.g., the colors can becomplementary, analogous, triad, split complementary, tetradic(rectangular), square, etc.

As mentioned, the color of the one or more objects can be configuredbased upon a plurality of interactions of the pointer 135 with thedisplay device 120, as detected by the touch sensitive interface 130(e.g., at the hue spectrum region 124), and the touch detectioncomponent 210. A particular result of an interaction can be based upon afunction of the spectrum that is currently being displayed (e.g., ondisplay device 120) and the detected interaction, where, in anon-exhaustive list, the interactions include:

(a) controlling which hue representation, e.g., discrete, continuous, orvertical, is presented on the display 120. For example, if a continuousspectrum (e.g., spectrum 310) is currently being presented on thedisplay 120, in response to a tap (e.g., a touch of pointer 135 beinglocated at a particular pixel location and having minimal duration)being detected by the touch sensitive interface 130 (and the touchdetection component 210) the continuous spectrum can be replaced by adiscrete spectrum (e.g., spectrum 360), thereby enabling an individualto select object coloration based upon the colors presented in theplurality of segments of the discrete spectrum (e.g., any of the twelvecolors RO, O, OY, Y, YG, G, GB, B, BP, P, PR, R presented in spectrum360). Replacement of the continuous spectrum 310 with the discretespectrum 360 can be based upon an instruction generated by the spectrumselection component 230 in accordance with a signal received from thetouch detection component 210. During replacement of the continuousspectrum 310 with the discrete spectrum 360, the spectrum mappingcomponent 240 can remap the pixels forming the hue spectrum region 124from the continuous spectrum 310 hue to the discrete spectrum 360 hues.

(b) during presentment of a discrete spectrum comprising a plurality ofdiscrete segments of color, e.g., per spectrum 360, a tap (e.g., asdetected by the touch sensitive interface 130, and the touch detectioncomponent 210) on a color segment (e.g., any of the twelve colors RO, O,OY, Y, YG, G, GB, B, BP, P, PR, R presented in spectrum 360) can beutilized to select and/or assign the selected color. For example, it isdesired that an object is to be assigned color YG, and accordingly, atap motion applied to the segment YG assigns the color YG to the object.

(c) during presentment of a discrete spectrum (e.g., spectrum 360), toenable color presentation in the form of a continuous spectrum (e.g.,(e.g., spectrum 310), a sliding motion of the pointer 135 horizontallyalong the discrete spectrum, from a first pixel to a second pixel, canbe detected by the touch sensitive interface 130, (and the touchdetection component 210) wherein the discrete spectrum is replaced witha continuous spectrum (per instruction from the spectrum selectioncomponent 230). In an embodiment, the example twelve hues maintain theirrelative locations but numerous hues in between are presented as well,to form the continuous spectrum, as previously described. Replacement ofthe discrete spectrum 360 with the continuous spectrum 340 can be basedupon an instruction generated by the spectrum selection component 230 inaccordance with a signal received from the touch detection component210. During replacement of the discrete spectrum 360 with the continuousspectrum 340, the spectrum mapping component 240 can remap the pixelsforming the hue spectrum region 124 from the discrete spectrum 360 hueto the continuous spectrum 340 hues. In an embodiment, selection of thefirst pixel (a start pixel) and the second pixel (an end pixel) canindicate a color range for the continuous spectrum. For example, aninitial discrete spectrum comprising the twelve colors RO, O, OY, Y, YG,G, GB, B, BP, P, PR, R (e.g., a presented in spectrum 360) can bepresented on the display device 120. A pointer 135 is placed at a firstpixel located in the OY segment to select the start color, a slidingmotion with the pointer 135 on the display screen 120 throughneighboring segments ends at a second pixel located in segment P, atwhich the pointer 135 is removed from the display screen 120 (e.g., asdetected by the touch sensitive interface 130, and the touch detectioncomponent 210). Accordingly, the discrete spectrum is replaced with acontinuous spectrum, wherein the continuous spectrum has a color rangefrom OY to P, and the various colors and intermediate hues therebetween.Tapping on a color in the continuous spectrum reverts displaying thediscrete spectrum.

(d) during presentment of the continuous spectrum (e.g., spectrum 340),a sliding motion of the pointer 135 along the continuous spectrum can bedetected by the touch sensitive interface 130 (and the touch detectioncomponent 210), wherein an initial pixel position (start position) ofthe pointer 135 provides a first color, and a final pixel position (endposition) of the pointer 135 motion provides a second color. With anobject selected, the selected first and second colors can controltransition of coloration of the object from the selected first colorthrough to the selected second color, where the transition includes therespective hues between the first color and the second color. Colorationof the object can be controlled by the color assignment component 250,in conjunction with the spectrum mapping component 240.

(e) during presentment of the continuous spectrum (e.g., spectrum 340),a sliding motion of the pointer 135 along the continuous spectrum can bedetected by the touch sensitive interface 130 (and the touch detectioncomponent 210), where, an initial pixel position (start position) of thepointer 135 provides a first color and a final pixel position (endposition) of the pointer 135 provides a second color. The selected firstand second colors can act as inputs to other functionality describedfurther herein, such as the first color and the second color operate asstart and finish colors utilized for depiction of notes in a chord(e.g., any of chords 550, 610, 620, 630). Coloration of the chord(s) canbe controlled by the color assignment component 250, in conjunction withthe spectrum mapping component 240.

(f) during presentment of the continuous spectrum (e.g., spectrum 340),a sliding motion of the pointer 135 along the continuous spectrum can bedetected by the touch sensitive interface 130 (and the touch detectioncomponent 210), wherein an initial pixel position (start position) ofthe pointer 135 provides a first color and a final pixel position (endposition) of the pointer 135 provides a second color. The selected firstcolor and the selected second color can provide a color transitionduring an initial existence (appearance of a note or object), through toits termination (demise), e.g., a sustained note, a note that undergoespitch bending, etc. Coloration of the object can be controlled by thecolor assignment component 250, in conjunction with the spectrum mappingcomponent 240.

(g) during presentment of the continuous spectrum (e.g., spectrum 340),a detected sliding motion of the pointer 135 along the continuousspectrum (e.g., between a first pixel and a second pixel) can enable thecontinuous spectrum to be zoomed in, whereby, instead of presenting thecontinuous spectrum across the entire available hue spectrum (e.g.,RO→R), the portion of the spectrum between the selected first color andthe selected second color can now form the entirety of the continuousspectrum. For example, the first color is yellow (Y) and the secondcolor is blue (B), hence the originally displayed RO→R spectrum isreplaced with a spectrum comprising hues in the range Y→B. Zooming-in ofthe continuous spectrum can be controlled by one or more of the spectrumgeneration component 220, the spectrum selection component 230, thespectrum mapping component 240, and/or the color assignment component250.

(g) during presentment of a vertical spectrum (e.g., spectrum 370), as apointer 135 is moved across a segment in the vertical spectrum 350, arespective base hue pixel and intermediate hue pixels either side of thebase hue pixel, as they are touched by moving the pointer 135 away,either up or down, from the central position, hues on either side of thebase hue position can enable partial hues that are on either side of thebase hue to be selected to create a shimmering effect (e.g., to convey achange in pitch, note bending, etc.). For example, the yellow (Y) huesegment S₄ of the vertical spectrum 370 is selected, wherein the pointer135 is positioned over the centrally placed yellow (Y) hue, a selectedobject (e.g., any of objects 520-530) changes color to the yellow hue.As the pointer 135 is moved upwards with respect to the central positionan intermediate hue(s) tending towards OY is applied to the object. Asthe pointer 135 is moved downwards, the yellow hue is applied to theobject, and as the pointer 135 moves below the central position,intermediate hues tending towards YG are applied to the object, and soforth to produce the shimmering effect as the respective intermediatehues and base hue are selected and applied. Coloration of the object canbe controlled by the color assignment component 250, in conjunction withthe spectrum mapping component 240.

(h) a vertical spectrum (e.g., vertical spectrum 370) can be selectedfor presentment based upon a vertical motion of the pointer 135 beingmoved up and down on either a segment in a discrete spectrum or beingmoved up and down on a region of the continuous spectrum. Vertical upand down motion of the pointer 135 on either the discrete spectrum 540or the continuous spectrum 580 can be detected by the touch sensitiveinterface 130 (and the touch detection component 210).

In a further embodiment, the touch sensitive interface 130 can utilize afunction(s) 175 to determine any of the previously mentioned motionsand/or interactions of the pointer 135 with the display device 120.Based upon the sensed motion of the pointer 135 by the touch sensitiveinterface 130, a result returned from execution of a function(s) 175 canbe determined to be a pair of scalars which can be utilized to define ahue for an object, and further for brightness adjustment of the hue withwhich the object is colored (e.g., by the brightness selection component260). In another embodiment, the result returned from execution of thefunction(s) 175 can be a pair of vectors, wherein each vectorrepresenting beginning and ending values, wherein a first vector is forhue and a second vector for brightness adjustment.

In another embodiment, for activities which can require a discrete(named) color, a function 170 or 175 can be a step-wise linear functionwhich is quantized. A scalar (single value) within each step of thestep-wise linear function is chosen to present the hue for a range oftouched points.

Further, when a pointer 135 is engaged in a long pressing motion, longsliding motion, or long panning motion temporal information is alsoreturned, such that, for example, a quick motion may indicate that alogarithmic function should be utilized when interpolating between thebeginning and ending values while a slower motion may indicate that alinear function should be utilized. A threshold value 185 can beutilized to determine between a long motion or a quick motion. Forexample, a threshold value 185 of 1 second can be utilized, wherein asliding motion that is measured to be quicker than 1 second determinesthat a transition of hues between the beginning value and the endingvalue is based upon a logarithmic function. Alternatively, when asliding motion of longer than 1 second is detected, then a transitionbetween the beginning hue and the ending hue is based upon a linearfunction. The threshold value 185 can be stored in the data store 136,and can be utilized by the touch detection component 210 to determinethe transition to be applied to a hue spectrum. The logarithmic functionand/or the linear function can be utilized to also control display ofthe continuous hue spectrum (e.g., any of the continuous spectrums 310,340, 580, etc.) can be presented with the hues arranged on a logarithmicscale or a linear scale.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate exemplary methodologies relating to visual musicobjects. While the methodologies are shown and described as being aseries of acts that are performed in a sequence, it is to be understoodand appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order ofthe sequence. For example, some acts can occur in a different order thanwhat is described herein. In addition, an act can occur concurrentlywith another act. Further, in some instances, not all acts may berequired to implement the methodologies described herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates a methodology 700 for modifying a spectrum comprisingnatural hues visible to the unaided eye. At 710, a natural hue spectrumis received, which as previously mentioned, comprises a plurality ofbase hues RO, O, OY, Y, YG, G, GB, B, BP, P, PR, R, and respectiveintermediate hues, the natural hue spectrum can be a continuousspectrum. At 720, the natural spectrum can be mapped to a range, e.g., astart hue in the spectrum (e.g., at the RO hue end of the spectrum) anda base hue in the spectrum (e.g., at the R hue end of the spectrum) canbe mapped to a variable having a continuous range from 0.00-1.00, withall the hues in between having a value between 0.00-1.00. At 730, theplurality of base hues can be identified, and their respective values inthe range 0.00-1.00 can be determined. At 740, a function (e.g., analgorithm) can be applied to the natural hue spectrum to enableplacement of the base hues to be adjusted such that each base hue ispositioned equally across the spectrum, to form a modified hue spectrum,wherein the modified hue spectrum is also a continuous spectrum.

FIG. 8 illustrates a methodology 800 for generating a discrete huespectrum from a continuous spectrum. At 810, a continuous hue spectrumis received. The continuous hue spectrum can be a natural hue spectrumcomprising natural hues visible to the unaided eye, a modified huespectrum generated from the natural hue spectrum (as previouslydescribed), or another spectrum of hues in a continuous form. At 820, aspreviously described, a continuous hue spectrum can be sectioned into adiscrete hue spectrum. Hence, the number of segments in the discrete huespectrum can be identified. For example, the preceding discussionutilized a discrete hue spectrum having twelve segments At 830, themodified hue spectrum can be sectioned into the number of segmentsdefined at 820. At 840, a primary hue for each segment can bedetermined. For example, the primary hue for each segment can be thecentral hue of the segment resulting from the sectioning operation. Inan alternative embodiment, the primary hue can be any hue (e.g., anintermediate hue) that is located in the respective segment. At 850,each segment can be filled with the determined primary hue, wherein theplurality of colored segments form a discrete hue spectrum.

FIG. 9 illustrates a methodology 900 for generating and presenting oneor more hue spectrums on a screen. At 910, a screen for presentment on adisplay device is configured to include a hue spectrum region, whereinthe hue spectrum region functions as a portion of the screen at whichone or more hue spectrums can be alternately displayed, for example acontinuous hue spectrum can be displayed at the hue spectrum region, tobe subsequently replaced with a discrete hue spectrum. At 920, a firsthue spectrum can be applied to the hue spectrum region. The first huespectrum can be a continuous hue spectrum, a discrete hue spectrum, avertical hue spectrum, etc., as previously described. In an exampleinitial state of the hue spectrum region, a continuous hue spectrum isapplied to the hue spectrum region, wherein further, the continuous huespectrum is a modified hue spectrum (as previously described). At 930,interaction with the first hue spectrum is detected. The screen can bepresented on a display device that has a touchscreen, and as a pointeris positioned at the hue spectrum region, the touch of the pointer isdetected. At 940, in response to determining that the touch is a tapmotion (e.g., of single location and minimal duration), the tap motionis processed to identify that the first hue spectrum is to be replacedwith a second hue spectrum. For example, where the first hue spectrum isa continuous hue spectrum, it is replaced with the second hue spectrumwhich is a discrete hue spectrum. At 950, further interaction with thesecond hue spectrum can be detected, and a subsequent action performed,where such action includes selecting a color from the second huespectrum to apply to an object being displayed on the screen,redisplaying the first hue spectrum, selecting a hue range to apply toan object or a chord, presenting a vertical hue spectrum, etc., aspreviously described.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a high-level illustration of an exemplarycomputing device 1000 that can be used in accordance with the systemsand methodology disclosed herein is illustrated. For example, thecomputing device 1000 may be utilized to enable interaction with one ormore objects being displayed during a visual music presentation. Forexample, the computing device 1000 can operate as the computing system101, or a portion thereof. The computing device 1000 includes at leastone processor 1002 that executes instructions that are stored in amemory 1004. The instructions may be, for instance, instructions forimplementing functionality described as being carried out by one or morecomponents discussed above or instructions for implementing one or moreof the methods described above. The processor 1002 may access the memory1004 by way of a system bus 1006. In addition to storing executableinstructions, the memory 1004 may also store signatures, time-seriessignals, etc.

The computing device 1000 additionally includes a data store 1008 thatis accessible by the processor 1002 by way of the system bus 1006. Thedata store 1008 may include executable instructions, test signatures,standard signatures, etc. The computing device 1000 also includes aninput interface 1010 that allows external devices to communicate withthe computing device 1000. For instance, the input interface 1010 may beused to receive instructions from an external computer device, from auser, etc. The computing device 1000 also includes an output interface1012 that interfaces the computing device 1000 with one or more externaldevices. For example, the computing device 1000 may display text,images, etc., by way of the output interface 1012.

Additionally, while illustrated as a single system, it is to beunderstood that the computing device 1000 may be a distributed system.Thus, for instance, several devices may be in communication by way of anetwork connection and may collectively perform tasks described as beingperformed by the computing device 1000.

Various functions described herein can be implemented in hardware,software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, thefunctions can be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions orcode on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includescomputer-readable storage media. A computer-readable storage media canbe any available storage media that can be accessed by a computer. Byway of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable storage mediacan comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in theform of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by acomputer. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD),laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, andBlu-ray disc (BD), where disks usually reproduce data magnetically anddiscs usually reproduce data optically with lasers. Further, apropagated signal is not included within the scope of computer-readablestorage media. Computer-readable media also includes communication mediaincluding any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer programfrom one place to another. A connection, for instance, can be acommunication medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from awebsite, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiberoptic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wirelesstechnologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxialcable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologiessuch as infrared, radio and microwave are included in the definition ofcommunication medium. Combinations of the above should also be includedwithin the scope of computer-readable media.

What has been described above includes examples of one or moreembodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable modification and alteration of the above structures ormethodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, butone of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many furthermodifications and permutations of various aspects are possible.Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to embrace all suchalterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that theterm “includes” is used in either the details description or the claims,such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term“comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as atransitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: at least one processor; andmemory that comprises computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processorto perform acts comprising: controlling a display device to present acontinuous hue spectrum within a hue spectrum region of the displaydevice, wherein the continuous hue spectrum comprises a continuous rangeof selectable hues; detecting a first touch within the hue spectrumregion of the display device; responsive to detection of the first touchwithin the hue spectrum region, controlling the display device topresent a discrete hue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of thedisplay device, wherein the discrete hue spectrum replaces thecontinuous hue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of the displaydevice, and wherein the discrete hue spectrum comprises a discrete setof selectable hues; detecting a second touch at a first pixel in aplurality of pixels located within the hue spectrum region of thedisplay device; identifying a location of the first pixel in theplurality of pixels at which the second touch occurred; responsive toidentifying the first pixel location, determining a hue assigned to thefirst pixel; and applying the determined hue to an object.
 2. The systemof claim 1, the acts further comprising: detecting a third touch withinthe hue spectrum region of the display device, wherein the third touchis a motion between a second pixel in the plurality of pixels and athird pixel in the plurality of pixels; identifying a location of thesecond pixel in the plurality of pixels at which the third touch beganand the third pixel in the plurality of pixels at which the third touchended; responsive to identifying the third touch is a motion between thesecond pixel and the third pixel, controlling the display device toreplace the discrete hue spectrum with the continuous hue spectrumwithin the hue spectrum region of the display device.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the continuous hue spectrum is formed from a naturalhue spectrum with a naturally occurring hue distribution, and comprisesa plurality of equally spaced positions, wherein the continuous huespectrum is configured such that each position has a unique base hueassigned thereto.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display devicecomprises one of a tablet personal computer, a personal computer, amobile phone, or a mobile computing device.
 5. The system of claim 1,the acts further comprising empirically adjusting a brightness of eachselectable hue to a consistent perceptual level.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein the detecting of the first touch is responsive to a stylus, apointer, a cursor, a human body part, or an object being brought intoproximity to the hue spectrum region of the display device.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the discrete hue spectrum comprises aplurality of equally sized segments, wherein each segment is formed by:aligning the continuous hue spectrum between a first hue and a secondhue, such that the continuous hue spectrum is aligned horizontallybetween the first hue and the second hue; dividing the continuous huespectrum into a plurality of segments, wherein the division is performedsuch that the plurality of segments are of equal width along thehorizontally aligned continuous hue spectrum; identifying a base hue ineach segment in the plurality of segments; assigning each identifiedbase hue to the respective segment for which it was identified; andassigning, for each pixel in each segment, the base hue identified fromthat segment.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first touch is avertical motion between a second pixel in the plurality of pixels and athird pixel in the plurality of pixels, and wherein the acts furthercomprise: responsive to identifying the first touch is a vertical motionbetween the second pixel and the third pixel, controlling the displaydevice to replace the continuous hue spectrum with a vertical huespectrum within the hue spectrum region of the display device, whereinthe vertical hue spectrum comprises a plurality of segments, eachsegment comprises a constant hue in a horizontal direction, and aplurality of hues transitioning vertically across each segment.
 9. Amethod performed by a computer system that includes a processor and amemory, the method comprising: controlling a display device to present acontinuous hue spectrum within a hue spectrum region of the displaydevice, wherein the continuous hue spectrum comprises a continuous rangeof selectable hues; detecting a first touch within the hue spectrumregion of the display device; responsive to detection of the first touchwithin the hue spectrum region, controlling the display device topresent a discrete hue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of thedisplay device, wherein the discrete hue spectrum replaces thecontinuous hue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of the displaydevice, and wherein the discrete hue spectrum comprises a discrete setof selectable hues; detecting a second touch at a first pixel in aplurality of pixels located within the hue spectrum region of thedisplay device, wherein the first touch is located at a second pixel inthe plurality of pixels; identifying a location of the first pixel inthe plurality of pixels at which the second touch occurred; responsiveto identifying the first pixel location, determining a hue assigned tothe first pixel; and applying the determined hue to an object.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the system is a computing device.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the computing device comprises the displaydevice.
 12. The method of claim 9, the acts further comprising:detecting a third touch within the hue spectrum region of the displaydevice, wherein the third touch is a motion between a third pixel in theplurality of pixels and a fourth pixel in the plurality of pixels;identifying a location of the third pixel in the plurality of pixels atwhich the third touch began and the fourth pixel in the plurality ofpixels at which the third touch ended; responsive to identifying thethird touch is a motion between the third pixel and the fourth pixel,controlling the display device to replace the discrete hue spectrum withthe continuous hue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of thedisplay device.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprisingdetermining a duration for the motion between the third pixel and thefourth pixel; in response to determining that the duration is less thana threshold value, displaying the continuous hue spectrum with the huesdisplayed on a logarithmic scale; and in response to determining thatthe duration is longer than the threshold value, displaying thecontinuous hue spectrum with the hues displayed on a linear scale. 14.The method of claim 9, wherein the continuous hue spectrum is formedfrom a natural hue spectrum with a naturally occurring hue distribution,and comprises a plurality of equally spaced positions, wherein thecontinuous hue spectrum is configured such that each position has aunique base hue assigned thereto.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein thedisplay device comprises one of a tablet personal computer, a personalcomputer, a mobile phone, or a mobile computing device.
 16. The methodof claim 9, wherein the object is a first object in plurality ofobjects, each object in the plurality of objects is assigned arespective hue, the acts further comprising adjusting a respective hueof each object in the plurality of objects according to the hue appliedto the first object to maintain a hue relationship between the pluralityof hues, wherein the plurality of hues are presented during a visualmusic presentation.
 17. The method of claim 9, wherein the discrete huespectrum comprises a plurality of equally sized segments, wherein eachsegment is formed by: aligning the continuous hue spectrum between afirst hue and a second hue, such that the continuous hue spectrum isaligned horizontally between the first hue and the second hue; dividingthe continuous hue spectrum into a plurality of segments, wherein thedivision is performed such that the plurality of segments are of equalwidth along the horizontally aligned continuous hue spectrum;identifying a base hue in each segment in the plurality of segments;assigning each identified base hue to the respective segment for whichit was identified; and assigning, for each pixel in each segment, thebase hue identified from that segment.
 18. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium including computer-executable instructionsthat, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform actsincluding: controlling a display device to present a continuous huespectrum within a hue spectrum region of the display device, wherein thecontinuous hue spectrum comprises a continuous range of selectable hues;detecting a first touch within the hue spectrum region of the displaydevice; responsive to detection of the first touch within the huespectrum region, controlling the display device to present a discretehue spectrum within the hue spectrum region of the display device,wherein the discrete hue spectrum replaces the continuous hue spectrumwithin the hue spectrum region of the display device, and wherein thediscrete hue spectrum comprises a discrete set of selectable hues;detecting a second touch at a first pixel in a plurality of pixelslocated within the hue spectrum region of the display device;identifying a location of the first pixel in the plurality of pixels atwhich the second touch occurred; responsive to identifying the firstpixel location, determining a hue assigned to the first pixel; andapplying the determined hue to an object.
 19. The computer-readablemedium of claim 18, wherein the display device comprises one of a tabletpersonal computer, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a mobilecomputing device.
 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, whereinthe detecting of the first touch is responsive to a stylus, a pointer, acursor, a human body part, or an object being brought into proximity tothe hue spectrum region of the display device.